Bar Keepers Friend

Overview

Bar Keepers Friend was originally manufactured in 1882 as a cleaning agent in powdered form. This formulation is still manufactured today. It was invented by chemist George William Hoffman in Indianapolis, Indiana. The product was originally sold to bars in Indianapolis and Hoffman asserted in a trademark application that the name had been used since January, 1887. The formula contains oxalic acid as a primary ingredient.

The Bar Keepers Friend logo represents the swinging doors of a saloon. According to the president of SerVaas Laboratories, Paul SerVaas, although some people complained during Prohibition, "the name was never changed. It's been Bar Keepers Friend since 1882".

In the 1950s the product became the base of a line of cleaning products made by Indianapolis-based SerVaas Laboratories, which started producing and carrying products under the Bar Keepers Friend brand name. Additional products manufactured and marketed under the Bar Keepers Friend brand name include liquid, cream and spray cleaners. SerVaas Laboratories had 40 employees in May 2011 and 54 in April 2016.

Production

Bar Keepers Friend products are mass-produced in a manufacturing environment that has significant automation in the process. The powdered and canned (original) product is formulated in separate two-ton batches during the production process. In September 2016, the canned powdered product was manufactured at a rate of approximately 60,000 cans per day, which are packaged in 12 oz, 15 oz and 21 oz cans.

Active ingredients

According to the February 26, 2020 Safety data sheet (SDS), Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser contains:

• 85–94% glass oxide (CAS 65997-17-3),
• 5–10% oxalic acid (CAS 144-62-7), and
• 1–5% benzene sulfonic acid, mono C10–16 derivatives, sodium salt (CAS 68081-81-2).

Prolonged use and extended skin contact may cause irritation, peeling and contact dermatitis. The product can also be an eye irritant. Personal protective equipment such as protective gloves and eye protection is recommended when handling the cleanser. Dust from the product may also cause mild respiratory irritation.

Performance and uses

In 1994, Consumer Reports found Bar Keepers Friend to perform on a par with Mr. Clean for removing baked-on soil, tea stains and other pot stains, and that it was better at removing rust. While recommending Bar Keepers Friend for a variety of household cleaning uses, author Heather Solos warned that it should not be used to clean silverware, pewter or real marble.

The product serves to make stainless steel resistant to oxidation via the process of passivation and can remove rust on stainless steel. The product can also remove small scratches from stainless steel, silver and plates.

Uses of Bar Keepers Friend that are not noted on its label include removing hard water stains from glass and windows and removing the brown or yellow stains caused by sunscreen containing avobenzone. The product can also clean teak wood and bleaches it.

References

References

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3. (April 18, 2016). "Maker of Indy mainstay Bar Keepers Friend plans expansion".
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9. (February 28, 2017). "About Us".
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12. (February 28, 2017). "Our Cleaning Products".
13. (26 February 2020). "Safety Data Sheet – Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser". SerVaas Laboratories, Inc..
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20. (2023-03-03). "Juniper Hill Cleaners, Lexington's Premier Residential Cleaning Services Solution {{!}} Say Goodbye to Sunscreen Stains: The Magic of Bar Keeper's Friend - Juniper Hill Cleaners, Lexington's Premier Residential Cleaning Services Solution".
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